Traveler for ships&#39; cleaning implements



- E. C. VILLIERS.

TRAVELER FO R SHIPS CLEANING IMPLEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7. I920.

1,3625 1 8. Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

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E. C. VILLIERS. IRAVELER FOR SHIPS CLEANING IMPLEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7. I920.

5 mm v 0 M i 1 m I E. C. VILLIERS.

TRAVELER FOR SHIPS CLEANING IMPLEMENTS. v

APPLICATION FILED AUG- T, 1920. Dec.

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Amzzwl/ E. C. VILLIERS. TRAVELER FOR SHIPS CLEANING IMPLEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ. 1920. 1 62,518, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

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11 11 C) n k I mama f lcnrwmez A'mw y UNITED STATES EDWARD CECIL VILLIERS,

OF ASCOT, ENGLAND.

TRAVELER FOR SHIPS CLEANING IMPLEMENTS.'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 14, 1920.

"Application filed August 7, 1920. Serial No. 402,073.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD CECIL VIL- LIERS, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Hendersyde,

Ascot, Berkshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Travelers for Ships Cleaning Implements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolleys, travelers and other like movable members such as are intended for use in cleaning ships hulls or for other like operations and of the kind embodying wheels, rollers, or the like, by means of which fthe device maybe 'propelled over the surface to be treated and which are associated with electro-magnetic coils and thus rendered; magnetic so as to cause the device to adhere to such surface.

It is the object of my invention'to improve the construction and arrangement of such devices by concentrating the magnetic force in the wheels, rollers, or the like, whereby maximum adhesion for any given expenditure of electrical energy will be obtainable and the invention consists in a trolley, traveler, or other like movable member of the kind referred to in which each wheel, roller or other propelling member has one or more electro-magnetic coils arranged in a recess or recesses therein.

The invention further consists in other details and arrangements hereinafter more particularly referred to.

The accompanying drawin s illustrate several modes of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of one convenient form of apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a second form of apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on a larger scale, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view also on a larger scale showing-a longitudinal sectional elevation.

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are respectively a side elevation, plan, and cross sectional elevation (on a larger scale) of athir'd form of apparatus.

In carrying my invention into effect in one convenient manner as, for example, in its application to a rotary scrubber mounted upon a trolley adapted to be drawn over the surface of the hull of a ship or other surface for the purpose or cleaning the same and as illustrated'in Figs. 1 and 2, I form my improved trolley from a steel or like framework, base plate aor other support in which I mount by suitable means three wheels Z) adapted to project slightly below the framework in order to contact with the surface of the ships hull c or other surface to permit of the trolley being moved over the surface for the purpose of cleaning the same by means of one or more rotary scrubbers (Z or other cleaning members carried .upon the trolley and conveniently driven by a motor d carried thereby.

Each of the traveling wheels is formed with a double flange 6 within which I arrange a coil fthrough which an electric current is caused to pass from any convenient source of supply, such for example as that which feedsthe motor 0V or a separate source, the arrangement being such that when the current is passing the wheels 6 are rendered magnetic and will thus cause the whole device to adhereto the surface 0 by the magnetic attraction between the wheels and the material of the hull, the latter being-assumed to be of iron, steel or other magnetic material.

The driving and steering of the wheels may be effected by means of a flexible drive or in any other suitable manner, and if necessary or desirable, I may arrange in proximity to the wheels one or more members providing an additional path for the magnetic lines of force in order to increase the magnetic adhesion.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rear wheels are driven from the motor ti while the front wheel is steered. The device is also shown as carrying a paint sprayer g for painting the cleaned surface, but it will be obvious that the appliance may carry and operate any machine tool or other device and is particularly suitable for use on gasometers or other structures which atpresent necessitate the use of scaffolding for the performance of any operation thereon.

In place of the wheels above described I may employ any other arrangement of rollers or the like or I may provide one or more chains ofwheels or one or more endless tracks similar to those employed with vehicles of the self-laying track type, the

members in all cases being associated with one or more stationary or other coils through which an electric current passes and, if necessary or desirable, I may provide means for automatically re-magnetizing that part of the chain or track which is about to leave the surface of the hull in the endless path that is provided for it.

Figs. 3 to 8 show two forms of apparatus, in which endless tracks are used.

Such tracks may be formed in any suitable manner, that illustrated involving the use of sets of laminae or plates h adapted to overlap one another, and being held by pins 2', one or more of which may be formed as a bolt to facilitate removal of the tracks as a whole. The tracks are carried by sprocket wheels 70 or the like which are mounted upon anysuitable framing Z, it being preferred to make one sprocket wheel movable in relation to the frame and associated with a spring suspension such as m in order that the truck may readily accommodate itself to any inequalities in the surface 0 over which the trolley is required to move. The coil f is arranged to pass between the tracks and may be supported on a channel or be tween a pair of channels a or by other suitable means, the channels being conveniently secured to and carried by the framing Z. By this means an extremely flexible arrangement is obtained which at the same time is capable of exerting an enormous adhesive force, and it will be understood that, although not shown, the device may carry a motor and a scrubber, paint sprayer, inachine tool or any other contrivance or con trivances whether operated by the motor or not.

Figs. 6 to 8 show an arrangement gen erally similar to that of Figs. 3 to 5, the principal difference being that, whereas the coil f in the former case passes right around the tracks, in the latter case it is confined to the lower part of the track which as shown in Fig. 8, is subdivided into three parts with a two part -coil passing between them. In this case the coil or the bracket for the same may be carried on pivoted arms 0 controlled by springs 79 so that the coil will be maintained clear of the surface over which the trolley or the like is to travel.

In any modification involving the use of tracks built up of laminated plates, the latter may be so formed or arranged that the tread portions of contiguous plates may be staggered in relation to one another or arranged in advance of one another, so that the strain on the sprocket wheels may be "relieved when drawing the track away from the surface to which it adheres.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the applications which are hereinbefore given by way of example be suitably modified to suit any practical requirements that have to be fulfilled, or the purpose for which the apparatus is to be used.

It is also to be understood that a track, chain or the like as hereinbefore described may be employed in any situation or for any purpose for which such chains, tracks or the like are ordinarily or may be em-- ployed.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A trolley, traveler or the like of the kind referred to comprising a framework, a rotatable propelling member carried thereby and having a recess with its side walls extending from the bottom of the recess in the same plane to the periphery, and an electro-magnetic coil arranged in said recess, said coil substantially filling a portion of said recess and having its outer portion arranged in close proximity to a portion of the periphery of said member.

2. A trolley, traveler, or the like comprising in combination a framework provided with an endless track having a recess therein, and an electro-magnetic coil arranged in said recess. r

3. A trolley, traveler, 'or the like as claimed in claim 2, in which the endless track is carried upon sprocket wheels, one

of which is movable in relation to the frame work to permit the endless track to travel over uneven surfaces.

4. A trolley, traveler, or the like as claimed in claim 2 in which the electromagnetic coil extends longitudinally of the framework a distance substantially equal to the length of the endless track.

5. A trolley, traveler or' the like as claimed in claim 2 in which the endless track is formed of a pli'ira'lity of chains each formed from a series of laminated plates, the plates being pivotally connected together and having overlapping ends, said chains being spaced apart to provide the recess in which the electro-magnetic coil is arranged.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 

